BIO

LUKE LEONARD is an American theatre and opera director, production designer, playwright, performer, teacher, and the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Monk Parrots, a New York-based ensemble of performing and visual artists. His stage productions have been described as "taking creditable gambles...outstanding" by The New York Times, “bold and experimental...a clear vision...pure theatrical experience” by nytheatre.com, "visually arresting" by The Austin American-Statesman, and having an "edgy choreographed directorial style" by OperaChaser.Director-Designer credits include: The Scottish Opera, a world premiere 80 minute re-imagining of Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth, adapted and arranged by Peter Stopschinski, David Lang and Mac Wellman’s The Difficulty of Crossing a Field, Kirk Lynn and Peter Stopschinski's Bum Phillips: All-American Opera, and Benjamin Britten's Turn of the Screw. Luke is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA, Dramatists Guild of America, and he was selected as the 2016 Resident International Stage Director at Gertrude Opera. Luke has taught at The Opera Studio of Melbourne, Long Island University-Post, CUNY's Macaulay Honors Program, and The University of Texas at Austin. Awards include a 2016 OperaChaser Melbourne Award for Outstanding Lighting Design (The Scottish Opera) and a 2015 OperaChaser Melbourne Award for Outstanding Stage Director (The Difficulty of Crossing a Field). Luke Leonard/Monk Parrots have received support from the Manhattan Community Arts Fund, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, HatchFund, USA Projects, and Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Luke holds a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Brooklyn College, City University of New York.